Gift of Samuel Moyerman, circa 1970-1972.
The collection is open for research.
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Department, University of Delaware Library,
MSS 523, Mary Hill correspondence, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Processed by Emily Holloway, March 2006. Encoded by Lora J. Davis, July 2011.
Mary Hill lived with her husband George Hill at 3601 Baring Street, in the Powelton Village neighborhood of West Philadelphia.
The main correspondent in the collection is Mary’s son, William (Will) Hill. Weekly correspondence between June 1888 and October 1890, with some brief gaps, informally documents a portion of Will’s employment with the Pennsylvania Railroad company. From the content of the letters, it appears that Will worked with the corps of engineers responsible for marking and laying the tracks in the state of Pennsylvania and some areas of Virginia. He worked both in the field and in the office of the corps’ various temporary stations throughout Pennsylvania.
The Mary Hill Correspondence, spanning the years 1888-1910 (bulk 1888-1890), was a gift of Samuel Moyerman circa 1970-1972. The collection comprises .3 linear feet (87 items) of handwritten correspondence, many accompanied by the original envelopes, received by Mary Hill at 3601 Baring Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The letters are arranged by sender and are housed in three folders: Letters from Will Hill (F1 and F2), and Letters from other friends and family (F3). The letters from Will Hill, Mary Hill’s son, are addressed most commonly to "Ma" or "Ma and Pa", with a few addressed to "Pa" and signed "Your affectionate son, Will." These letters comprise the majority of the collection. In his frequent correspondence, Will discussed current projects with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, as well as various leisure activities and the weather conditions. Will often times briefly mentions his working conditions, his feelings toward various supervisors, and the natural events that delayed railroad construction. It appears that Will traveled often with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, as his letters were sent from various places in Pennsylvania as well as Alexandria, Virginia. Between June 1888 and June 1889 (F1) Will sent letters from Canadensis, Latrobe, Williamsport, Altoona, Braddock, Sutersville, Morrisville and Newtown, Pennsylvania, and Alexandria Virginia. The letters from October 1889 to October 1890 (F2) reflect a more settled period in Will’s career, with letters from Muncy, Williamsport, and Freeport Pennsylvania.
The other letters written to Mary Hill (F3) are from various correspondents: Bettie Hill Shaw, her son George, a friend Clara Shaw, and a cousin Mary Allen. These letters discuss possible visits, and thank-you notes for Christmas gifts. This folder also contains two pieces pertaining to the purchase of clothing, one from dressmaker Sadie M. Brooks of Kater and Brooks, and Eshleman and Craig Co., Custom Shirtmakers and Launderers, both of Philadelphia.
This small collection is fragmentary. However, the letters from Will Hill to his mother Mary may be of interest to those researching the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.